Millennials show penchant for previous employers

Holding on to promising young talent is a fight for many employers but it seems the battle isn’t over once a worker has abandoned ship – according to one new study, many millennials would happily return to their previous employer.

The survey, conducted by Leger, found that four in 10 Canadians would be likely to return to an employer at some point in their career with men more open to the idea (44 per cent) than women (36 per cent).

However, there is one group in particular that shows a penchant for previous employers.

"It appears that millennials are having satisfying experiences at work that may easily draw them back to an employer," says Sheryl Boswell, of jobs site Monster Canada. "They sometimes leave equipped with the experience and intention of returning to the employer in a more advanced role."

Half of millennial respondents – those aged 18 to 34 – said they would be likely to return to a previous employer and 36 per cent has already done so.

When asked why they would be persuaded to return to an employer, the reasons are far from unsurprising – most men cited a good salary (25 per cent) while most women cited a good work-life balance (24 per cent).

Other reasons Canadians would be likely to return to a previous employer are: opportunities for growth and personal development (17 per cent), missing the people (17 per cent), work culture (11 per cent) and a desire to work for the company's current leadership (7 per cent).

"There is tremendous value in the relationships that people establish at work," says Boswell. "Saying goodbye to an employer isn't always written in stone.”

Interestingly, the trend doesn’t quite ring true in Quebec where only 17 per cent of respondents said they would be likely to return to a previous employer. In addition, only 28 per cent of those in Quebec have returned to a previous employer, compared to 36 per cent of Canadians in other provinces.

"Those living in Quebec seem to plan their careers in a more linear pattern compared to the rest of Canadians," says Boswell. "They may have landed a job because of something they did at a previous employer and continue to build on that foundation and momentum to find better moving forward."